U.S. patent number 5,820,168 [Application Number 08/895,039] was granted by the patent office on 1998-10-13 for fastener device for holding a tube junction member to a plate through which it passes via an associated opening.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Bundy. Invention is credited to Jacques De Giacomoni.
United States Patent |
5,820,168 |
De Giacomoni |
October 13, 1998 |
Fastener device for holding a tube junction member to a plate
through which it passes via an associated opening
Abstract
The invention relates to a fastener device for fastening to a
support plate, the device being constituted by a rider having a
first fork whose two branches define an internal outline designed
to co-operate with a polygonal element of a junction member to be
held so as to prevent said junction member from rotating, and on
the other side a second fork whose two branches can be placed
astride an extension portion of the junction member, which branches
are bent so as to bear both against the other face of the support
plate and against a terminal shoulder of the extension portion so
as to urge the junction member against the stop face of the plate,
thereby holding said junction member against translation.
Inventors: |
De Giacomoni; Jacques (Amboise,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Bundy (Nazelles Negron,
FR)
|
Family
ID: |
9494408 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/895,039 |
Filed: |
July 16, 1997 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
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Jul 24, 1996 [FR] |
|
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96 09291 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
285/192; 285/325;
248/56; 285/420; 285/330 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L
3/00 (20130101); F16L 5/00 (20130101); F16L
3/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F16L
5/00 (20060101); F16L 3/00 (20060101); F16L
3/10 (20060101); F16L 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;285/139.1,192,194,325,330,420,61,205 ;248/56 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Arola; Dave W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sixbey, Friedman, Leedom &
Ferguson, P.C. Ferguson, Jr.; Gerald J.
Claims
I claim:
1. A fastener device for holding a tube junction member to a plate
through which it passes via an associated opening, the plate having
a free edge, said junction member bearing against a stop face of
the plate via a polygonal element analogous to a nut and extending
beyond said plate by means of a portion passing through said
opening, wherein the fastener device is constituted by a rider for
placing astride the plate and having a spine thereof which presses
against the free edge of the plate, said rider having, adjacent to
the stop face, a first fork whose two branches define an internal
outline designed to co-operate with the polygonal element of the
junction member to prevent said junction member from rotating, and
on the other side, it has a second fork whose two branches are
placed astride the extension of the junction member, and are bent
to bear against both the other face of the plate and against a
terminal shoulder of said extension portion so as to urge the
junction member against the stop face of the plate, thereby holding
said junction member in translation.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the internal outline of
the first fork of the rider has a step in each branch for
co-operating with the polygonal element of the junction member to
prevent ejection of the rider once installed.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the internal outline of
the first fork of the rider has a notch in each branch designed to
co-operate with the polygonal element of the junction member so as
to simultaneously prevent said junction member from rotating and
prevent the rider, once installed, from being ejected.
4. A device according to claim 1, in which the internal outline of
the first fork of the rider has, in each of its branches, both a
step and a notch, each designed to co-operate with the polygonal
element of the junction member to prevent the rider being ejected
once installed, and defining two different angular indexing
positions for the polygonal element of the junction member.
5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the branches of the first
fork have outwardly sloping ends forming ramps that act, during
installation of the rider, to co-operate with the outside face of
the polygonal element of the junction member.
6. A device according to claim 5, wherein each branch end is
terminated by an outwardly folded tab designed to facilitate
extraction of the rider once it has been put into place.
7. A device according to claim 1, wherein each branch of the second
fork of the rider is bent in such a manner as to define two bearing
points against the plate, plus a central bearing point against the
terminal shoulder of the junction member.
8. A device according to claim 7, wherein, when the rider is in
place, the central bearing point of each of the branches of the
second fork is level with the axis of the opening through the
plate.
9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the rider is made of
spring steel .
Description
The invention relates to a fastener device for holding a tube
junction member to a plate through which it passes via an
associated opening.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical field of application is that of the motor industry, where
the plate is a web secured to the bodywork of the vehicle, and the
tube junction member is, for example, a rigid junction between a
flexible hose and a rigid tube in a brake line. Nevertheless, such
an application merely constitutes an example, and the invention is
not limited to that type of fastening.
It is desirable for tube junction members to be fastened so that
they are held in place as reliably as possible, even when the
support plate is subjected to shock and/or vibration. Thus, the
present trend is more and more to providing a fastening capable of
simultaneously locking the tube relative to the plate through which
it passes, both against translation and against rotation.
In general, the tube junction member that needs to be held to a
plate bears against a stop face of the plate via a polygonal
element analogous to a nut, and it extends beyond said plate in the
form of a portion passing through the opening in the plate.
Numerous solutions have already been proposed for making such
fastenings, particularly in the motor industry.
Thus, a technique that has been known for 50 or more years consists
in using on the side of the plate remote from the stop face against
which the junction member bears, a staple in the form of a fork
having two branches with curved central portions bearing against an
end shoulder on the junction member so as to urge said junction
member against the stop face of the plate, thus locking the
junction member in translation, while also providing the stop face
of the plate with projecting locking studs which co-operate with
the polygonal element of the junction member. For example, with a
hexagonal element, it is possible to use a set of four studs
disposed in a square, thereby locking the member against rotation.
The staple is hammered in to place so as to lock the junction
member once it has been installed. Nevertheless, that technique
suffers from certain drawbacks, including the hammering-in step
which generally violates manufacturing rules in the motor vehicle
industry, and the need to provide projecting studs on a plate which
requires a cold embossing step.
Various other spring clip type fastener devices designed to bear
against a face of the plate and against a shoulder of the junction
member are also known. Those devices make it easy to lock the
junction member against translation, but they provide no
anti-rotation function.
A system is also known which, instead of using projecting
anti-rotation studs, makes use of a fluting arrangement, while on
the other side of the plate it makes use of an omega-shaped spring
element whose bent ends bear against the corresponding face of the
plate and whose center has the endpiece of the junction member
passing therethrough. Such an omega clip nevertheless suffers from
major drawbacks, of which mention can be made of its difficulty of
installation, given that the clip needs to be held during
screw-tightening by exerting prestress on the clip before beginning
the tightening operation, and of the way in which the omega clip
generates a traction force tending to pull the rigid tube away from
the junction, thereby giving rise to forces that tend to spoil
sealing at the junction. In addition, with such an omega clip, it
is not possible to release the tube junction member from the plate
without undoing the junction itself, which makes it necessary to
drain the brake circuit of the vehicle, for example.
Mention may also be made of fastener devices implemented in the
form of a pair of staples disposed on the same side of the plate,
so as simultaneously to hold the junction member in translation and
prevent the pair of staples being ejected, with the anti-rotation
function still being performed in the same manner as in the
above-mentioned example by studs or catches co-operating with the
polygonal element of the junction member.
Finally, reference can also be made to the following documents:
DE-A-44 38 057; GB-A-1 329 503; U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,934; and U.S.
Pat. No. 4,621,839, which illustrate the technological background
and which are described briefly below.
Document DE-A-44 38 057 describes a fastener device for fastening a
ringed tube to the back wall of a machine structure in the field of
domestic appliances. It merely comprises a clip enabling two ringed
tubes to be clipped together before being put into place on the
back wall.
Document GB-A-1 329 503 describes a clamp having two complementary
jaws around one or two tubes at a flexible wire-passing
bushing.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,934 describes a fastener device for
cable control, with a fastening plate provided with lateral
slideways for insertion into an open U-shaped notch.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,839 describes a ring for fastening the
endpiece of a heat exchanger, which ring includes a projecting
central rim.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a fastener of simple
structure that is capable of simultaneously locking the junction
member both in translation and against rotation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener device
which is easy to install or remove and which is capable of
remaining in place reliably on the plate concerned.
According to the invention, this technical problem is solved by a
fastener device for holding a tube junction member to a plate
through which it passes via an associated opening, said junction
member bearing against a stop face of the plate via a polygonal
element analogous to a nut and extending beyond said plate by means
of a portion passing through said opening, the fastener device
being constituted by a rider for placing astride the plate so that
a spine thereof presses against a free edge of the plate, said
rider having, adjacent to the stop face, a first fork whose two
branches define an internal outline designed to co-operate with the
polygonal element of the junction member to prevent said junction
member from rotating, and on the other side, it has a second fork
whose two branches are placed astride the extension of the junction
member, and are bent to bear against both the other face of the
plate and against a terminal shoulder of said extension portion so
as to urge the junction member against the stop face of the plate,
thereby holding said junction member in translation.
Such a rider performs the anti-rotation function by means of the
particular internal outline of the first fork of the rider and by
means of the spine of said rider which bears against the free edge
of the plate. Since the rider is designed to be placed astride the
plate, its second fork serves only to hold the junction member in
translation by blocking it so that it presses against said
plate.
Preferably, the internal outline of the first fork of the rider has
a step in each branch for co-operating with the polygonal element
of the junction member to prevent ejection of the rider once
installed.
It is also advantageous to provide for the internal outline of the
first fork of the rider to have a notch in each branch designed to
co-operate with the polygonal element of the junction member so as
to simultaneously prevent said junction member from rotating and
prevent the rider, once installed, from being ejected.
It is also possible to provide for the internal outline of the
first fork of the rider to have, in each branch, both a step and a
notch which are designed to produce two different angular indexing
positions. In which case both the anti-rotation function and the
anti-ejection function for the installed rider are both provided
while still giving two different angular indexing positions.
Also advantageously, the branches of the first fork have outwardly
sloping ends forming ramps that act, during installation of the
rider, to co-operate with the outside face of the polygonal element
of the junction member. Such a ramp makes it easier to install the
rider, with the operator merely having to rotate the junction
member about its own axis until the first fork of the rider snaps
onto the polygonal element of said junction member. Preferably, it
is possible to provide for each branch end to be terminated by an
outwardly folded tab designed to facilitate extraction of the rider
once it has been put into place.
Also advantageously, each branch of the second fork of the rider is
bent in such a manner as to define two bearing points against the
plate, plus central bearing point against the terminal shoulder of
the junction member. In particular, when the rider is in place, the
central bearing point of each of the branches of the second fork is
level with the axis of the opening through the plate.
Finally, it is advantageous to provide for the rider to be made of
spring steel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear more
clearly in the light of the following description and the
accompanying drawings, relating to particular embodiments, and in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastener rider of the
invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the FIG. 1 rider, wit chain-dotted lines
showing the polygonal (hexagonal in this case) element that forms a
portion of the junction member to be locked, thus illustrating the
anti-rotation function performed by the rider, and also the
anti-ejection function for a rider that is in place;
FIG. 3 is a side view of an assembly mounted on a plate, with the
above-mentioned fastener rider serving to hold the junction member
both against translation and against rotation;
FIGS. 4a and 4b are perspective views showing the above-mentioned
rider being put into place as seen from the stop face side where
the hexagonal element of the junction member presses against the
plate;
FIGS. 5a and 5b shows the same steps of installing the rider as
seen from the opposite side of the plate;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a variant rider of the
invention with an additional notch provided in each branch of the
first fork, thereby providing two different angular indexing
positions;
FIG. 7 is an end view similar to FIG. 2, showing the two possible
positions for a hexagonal element that is locked against rotation
between the two branches of the first fork; and
FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4a, showing the
modified rider of FIGS. 6 and 7 being put into place.
MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a rider 10 having a spine 11 from which there
project a first fork 12 and a second fork 22. The first fork 12 has
two branches 13 leaving a central gap between them whose profile is
defined by an internal outline referenced 16. This internal outline
has a top edge 18, and in each of the two branches 13 it has a step
17 whose function is descried in greater detail below. It should be
observed that each of the two branches 13 has an end 14 that slopes
outwardly and that is terminated by a folded-out tab. The function
of these details is likewise explained in greater detail below.
On the other side of the spine 11, the second fork 22 likewise has
two branches 23 with an internal outline referenced 24, these two
branches being bent, having two bend lines referenced 25 and 27,
the free edges of the ends of the branches being referenced 26.
Before describing in greater detail and with reference to FIG. 2
the two functions performed by the two branches 13 of the first
fork 12, it is appropriate to begin by describing the installed
fastening as a whole as shown in FIG. 3.
In FIG. 3, there can be seen a junction member 100 that provides a
connection between a flexible hose 101 and a rigid tube 102, the
overall axis being referenced X. In this case, the junction member
100 is of the crimped junction type, having in succession: a
compressed portion 103; a polygonal element 104 analogous to a nut,
which portion is hexagonal in this case; a smooth cylindrical
portion 105; a smaller-diameter cylindrical portion 106; and
finally a cylindrical portion 107 of larger diameter than the
preceding portion and defining a stop shoulder referenced 108.
Although the tube junction member shown is entirely conventional,
it should be understood that the invention is not limited to
fastening a junction member of this type, and is applicable to
other known types (not shown herein), providing they have a
polygonal element analogous to a nut, and providing they extend
beyond the plate in the form of a portion that passes through the
opening in said plate.
The plate 1 has a stop face 2 and an opposite face referenced 3. A
circular opening 4 allows a portion of the junction member to pass
through, with the polygonal element 104 thereof then bearing
against the stop face 2 of said plate. Specifically, the opening 4
is extended upwards by a notch 5 which opens out in the top edge 6
of the plate 1. When such a notch 5 is present, the two
assembled-together tubes can be removed together with the junction
member by passing the rigid tube through the notch. It should be
observed that such withdrawal is possible with the rider of the
invention, without there being any need to disassemble the
junction, whereas that is not possible using a prior-art omega
clip. If there is no such notch, then the assembly can be removed
only by pulling in the opposite direction to the direction in which
it bears against the face of the plate.
In FIG. 3, the above-described rider 10 is shown in the installed
position, and it can be seen that the spine 11 of the rider then
bears against the top edge 6 of the plate 1, which edge is
rectilinear in this case. It is important to observe that the rider
10 is astride the plate 1 when said rider is in place.
The first fork 12 overlies the stop face side 2 of the plate 1, and
its two branches 13 are astride the polygonal element 104
(hexagonal in this case) with the two parallel opposite rectilinear
edges of the outline 16 being in contact with the two parallel
faces of the hexagonal element 104. Any tendency of the junction
member to rotate about its axis has the effect of transmitting
torque to the rider 10, which torque is opposed by the spine 11 of
said rider being in abutment against the top edge 6 of the plate 1.
In this context, the edge of the plate against which the spine
bears must be of a shape that is appropriate for applying the
necessary force to the spine of the rider: the bearing edge may
thus be rectilinear, as shown, or it may include bearing
projections. The above-mentioned anti-rotation function is thus
provided by the internal outline 16 of the first fork 12 which is
shaped to co-operate with the hexagonal element 104 of the junction
member 100 in order to lock said junction member against
rotation.
On the other side, the second fork 22 has its two branches 23
astride the smallest-diameter cylindrical portion 106, and when it
is in place, it can be seen that each of its branches 23 is
specially bent to bear both against the face 3 of the plate 1 and
against the terminal shoulder 108 of the extension portion, thereby
urging the junction member 100 against the stop face 2 of the plate
1, and thus holding said junction member in translation.
Specifically, each branch 23 of the second fork 22 of the rider 10
is bent in such a manner as to bear against the plate in two places
and to bear centrally against the terminal shoulder 108 of the
junction member 100. This is defined by a first bend line 25
corresponding to a first point for bearing against the face 3 of
the plate 1, and a second line 27 corresponding to the central
region bearing against the terminal shoulder 108, with the other
bearing point against the face 3 being provided in this case by the
end edge 26 of each branch 23.
Returning now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that each branch 13 of the
first fork 12 has a step 17 in its internal outline, thereby
shaping it to co-operate with the hexagonal element 104 of the
junction member 100 so as to prevent the rider 10 from being
ejected once it has been put into place. Specifically, the step 17
constitutes a transition between two parallel rectilinear portions,
thereby defining a central gap in its widest portion that is of a
width that matches the dimension D of the hexagonal element 104,
and with a narrower opening of width d that is sufficient to pass
on either side of the compressed portion 103 of the junction
member.
The rider 10 as shown thus performs three functions, namely: it
holds the junction member both against translation and against
rotation, and it holds itself, once in place, against ejection.
As mentioned above, the branches 13 of the first fork 12 have
outwardly sloping ends 14. These sloping ends 14 constitute ramps
that act during installation of the rider 10 by co-operating with
the outside face 110 of the polygonal element 104 of the junction
member 100. This will be better understood in the light of the
following explanations given with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4b.
In FIG. 4a, the rider 10 of the above-specified type is put into
place over the junction member 100 which has already been installed
in the opening of the plate 1. The branches 13 and 23 of the rider
10 are already located on opposite sides of the plate so that the
rider is astride the plate. When the rider 10 is pushed towards the
junction member, in the direction of arrow F, the sloping ends 14
slide over the outside face 110 of the hexagonal element 104. The
operator needs only to push the rider 10 by hand until the spine 11
of the rider comes into contact with the top edge 6 of the plate 1,
and thereafter, if necessary, to rotate the tubular assembly about
the axis X so as to bring the hexagonal element 104 into its
indexing position by snapping into the position in which the two
branches 13 overlie respective opposite faces and their steps 17
engaged beneath said faces, as shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose,
it is advantageous for the rider 10 to be made of spring steel so
that the branches 13 are naturally resilient and tend to move back
towards the plate 1 as soon as the indexing position is reached,
thereby automatically completing both the anti-rotation function
and the anti-ejection locking function.
FIGS. 5a and 5b show the same operation of putting the rider into
place, but seen from the other side of the plate. It can be seen
that the two branches 23 of the second fork 22 come astride the
smallest-diameter portion of the junction member 100, and bear via
lines 25 and 26 against the face 3 of the plate 1, and via lines 27
against the shoulder defined by the larger-diameter portion 107. In
FIGS. 5a and 5b, a terminal fastening nut 109 is shown in
association with the junction member 100, but that is merely by way
of illustrative example.
In the installed position, the junction member is thus reliably
held both against rotation and against translation relative to the
support plate. This fastening withstands shock and vibration well,
thereby making it most advantageous for use in the motor
industry.
A variant rider is described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to
8.
The rider 10' shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 has many elements that are
identical to the above-described rider 10, which elements are given
the same references and are not described again. The rider 10'
differs from the above-described rider 10 solely by a different
internal outline 16' as defined by the two branches 13 of its first
fork 12. In each branch 13, this internal outline 16' has a notch
19 which is organized to co-operate with the polygonal element 104
of the junction member 100 both for the purpose of preventing said
junction member rotating and for the purpose of preventing the
rider 10' being ejected after it has been put into place.
Specifically, for a polygonal element 104 that is hexagonal, each
notch 19 is constituted by two lengths at an angle of 120.degree.
so as to receive two opposite corners of the hexagonal element
104.
Such a notch 19 thus acts simultaneously to prevent rotation and to
prevent the installed rider from being ejected.
In the embodiment shown, it can be seen that the rider 10' also has
a step 17 in each of its branches 13 as described above. In this
case, with a step 17 between two parallel rectilinear lengths, two
angular indexing positions are obtained as shown in FIG. 7. In the
second indexing position, corresponding to that of the
above-described rider 10, it is the steps 17 that perform the
function of preventing the installed rider being ejected.
The rider 10' is put into place in exactly the same manner as the
above-described rider 10, and FIG. 8 shows the rider being put into
place on the plate 1.
In both cases, the branch ends 14 are terminated by
outwardly-folded tabs 15. These tabs make it easier to extract a
rider 10 or 10'. By taking hold of the two branches 13 via their
projecting tabs 15, it is possible to deform said branches
elastically until they can slide over the outside face 110 of the
polygonal element 104, thereby overcoming the anti-ejection
function, and enabling the rider 10 or 10' to be removed from the
plate 1.
As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, which applies equally well
to the rider 10 and to the rider 10', when the rider is in place,
the central bearing points 27 of the branches 23 of the second fork
22 are level with the axis X of the opening 4 through the plate 1.
Thus, the thrust force exerted on the shoulder 108 does not
generate any force tending to displace the junction member relative
to the axis X of the opening 4, with the junction member being
centered by the cylindrical portion 105 which is received in the
opening 4.
Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiments
described above, but on the contrary covers any variant using
equivalent means to reproduce the essential characteristics
specified above.
In particular, the shape of the polygonal element could be replaced
by any other non-circular shape, e.g. oval, elliptical, or
rectangular with two projecting semicircles, the internal outline
of the first fork of the rider then having a complementary shape
for obtaining the desired anti-rotation function and possibly also
the function of preventing the installed rider from being
ejected.
* * * * *